The Triumph Hurdle may be a race for future stars, but it hasn’t always been kind to those at the top of the market.
Only five of the last 12 favourites have justified their position, while four of the last seven winners were sent off at 6/1 or bigger.
That includes Pentland Hills, who defied a 20/1 starting price in 2019 to spring a surprise at Cheltenham.
With that in mind, it’s worth digging beyond the obvious contenders in the Triumph Hurdle 2025 odds to identify potential value in this year’s renewal.
Here are some outsiders who could outrun their odds in the 2025 Triumph Hurdle.
Palladium – 16/1
Palladium made headlines last year when bought by Lady Bamford for an eye-watering over £1.1 million, smashing the record for a National Hunt horse.
Winner of the German Derby in Hamburg last July, the four-year-old made a seamless switch to jumps when scoring by two lengths on debut at Huntingdon in January.
He’s currently priced at 16/1 for the Triumph Hurdle, but trainer Nicky Henderson claims there isn’t much between Palladium and his current ante-post favourite Lulamba.
‘I haven’t had a bet at Cheltenham in 30 years – but one is 7/4, the other 16/1, and they aren’t that far apart,’ the veteran handler said.
Gibbs Island – 20/1
When analysing trends for the Triumph Hurdle, three key factors stand out: winning last time out, having raced within the last 48 days, and proven form over the distance. Gibbs Island ticks all three boxes. A previous winner on the flat for Andy Oliver, Gibbs Island switched hands over for 70,000 guineas last October and has made an instant impression over hurdles for his new connections.
He won a Maiden Hurdle over two miles and one furlong on jumps debut at Sedgefield in January and followed up with a convincing Juvenile Hurdle win at Haydock in mid-February.
Odds of 20/1 certainly make Gibbs Island a tempting each-way option for the Triumph Hurdle on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Live Conti – 25/1
French form has been a good indicator when it comes to the Triumph Hurdle in recent years, with the last four winners of the Juvenile contest all boasting a win on the other side of the Channel before moving to British and Irish racing.
Auteuil is particularly noteworthy, with the last two Triumph winners—Majborough and Lossiemouth—scoring there before switching to new connections, and Live Conti boasts similar form, winning at the track in October.
He was picked up by a syndicate, including former football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and joined Dan Skelton. The Warwick-based trainer remained patient for his debut, and it paid off as he won by three lengths over two miles at Wetherby in February.
Live Conti is 25/1 in the horse racing odds for the Triumph Hurdle, but Skelton seemed unsure if he would go to Cheltenham following his debut win for the yard.
“The form of his Auteuil race is very good and we’ll decide whether we go to Cheltenham or wait for Aintree, but he’s a horse who is further down the line as he’s already quite furnished and strong. It could be one or the other he goes to,” said Skelton.
